Sony Xperia Z Android 4.2 Update Could Be Close

The Sony Xperia Z Android 4.2 Jelly Bean update, which was promised for arrival shortly after the device’s release in February, might be on the verge of rolling out as the device has seen two new firmware versions approved, a sign that something Android 4.2 related could be brewing for Sony’s current flagship smartphone.

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At CES 2013, Sony announced the new Sony Xperia Z, its 5-inch flagship smartphone that has launched around the world and will be joining the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 on shelves in the United States sometime in the near future. At the event, the company promised that the Android 4.1 based device would get Android 4.2 Jelly Bean soon after launch.

The device arrived in February, but since then, there has been no sign of an official Android 4.2 Jelly Bean roll out for Xperia Z owners. Instead, the closest owners have come is a release into Google’s AOSP for developers to tinker with. Since then, Sony has remained silent on the matter and an Android 4.2 update remains on the shelf.

That could change soon however as two new firmware versions have been discovered lurking on the PTCRB’s website. The versions, first discovered by XperiaBlog, are for 10.1.1.A.1.319 and 10.3.A.0.407. The first is likely for Android 4.1 Jelly Bean as it follows a naming pattern that Sony has followed with incremental updates to that operating system.

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A Sony Xperia Z Android 4.2 update could be close.

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The 10.3 nomenclature points to something different, possibly a new, major Android update. It’s possible that it could have something to do with Android 4.3 but Android 4.2 at this point seems more likely.

The firmware certifications are for what is believed to be the North American variant of the Xperia Z. Rumors have swirled about an impending release on T-Mobile USA’s network and it could be that this firmware certification means that the device will arrive with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean on board. Sony and T-Mobile remain mum about a release date though Sony CEO Kaz Hirai claimed that it would be coming soon.

If that is indeed the case, we expect the Android 4.2 updates to arrive shortly before or after the arrival on T-Mobile.